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Aqua farmers worried over manufacturers’ bid to increase shrimp feed prices

Politics

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Aqua farmers worried over manufacturers’ bid to increase shrimp feed prices

Representative image. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphotos The State government will introduce the Maharashtra Women Farmers Empowerment Bill, 2026, during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Legislative Assembly beginning on June 22, seeking to grant women farmers independent legal recognition and improve their access to welfare schemes and institutional support, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday (June 12, 2026).Mr. Fadnavis reviewed a preliminary presentation on the draft Bill at a meeting attended by Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane and Minister of State for Agriculture Ashish Jaiswal at his official residence on Friday.“Women account for more than 81% of participation in Maharashtra’s agricultural sector. However, most agricultural policies and government schemes remain male-centric. Since land ownership is often a prerequisite for availing benefits under agricultural schemes, a large number of women farmers are excluded from these benefits. Women cultivating family- or community-owned land, as well as those engaged in allied activities such as fisheries, livestock rearing, poultry farming and collection of forest produce, are often not recognised as farmers. It is against this backdrop that the proposed legislation has been drafted,” he said.Digital systemThe Chief Minister directed officials to undertake a detailed study for developing an effective digital system through which women farmers can access State government loan schemes, agricultural subsidies, seeds, fertilisers, crop insurance, extension services, market facilities, transportation, storage infrastructure and social security schemes. Published - June 13, 2026 03:53 am IST

From shape-shifting birds to snake princes: How ‘Voices in the Wind’ maps Himalaya’s living folk tales

general

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From shape-shifting birds to snake princes: How ‘Voices in the Wind’ maps Himalaya’s living folk tales

3 min readMay 31, 2026 04:54 PM IST Venomous snakes rank among nature’s most feared predators, but in the wild, even deadly serpents are not always at the top of the food chain. Across forests, grasslands, deserts, and wetlands, several bird species have evolved remarkable hunting skills that allow them to attack and consume highly venomous snakes. Using sharp talons, powerful beaks, lightning-fast reflexes, and aerial precision, these birds play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance by controlling snake populations.Here are some of the most fascinating birds known for hunting deadly snakes. Secretary Bird Native to the savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, the secretary bird is perhaps the world’s most famous snake hunter. Unlike most birds of prey, it hunts mainly on foot, using its long legs to stomp snakes with immense force. The bird is known to attack dangerous species such as cobras and puff adders with astonishing speed and precision. Crested Serpent Eagle Found across India and Southeast Asia, the crested serpent eagle specialises in hunting reptiles, particularly snakes. With keen eyesight and powerful talons, it swoops down from tree perches to capture prey. It is often spotted carrying snakes back to its nest. An adult brown snake eagle (Photo: Wikipedia)Snake Eagle Several species of snake eagles, especially the short-toed snake eagle, are renowned reptile hunters. Found in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia, these raptors hover high above open terrain before diving onto snakes. Thick scales on their legs help protect them from bites. Roadrunner Popularly known through cartoons, roadrunners are surprisingly fierce predators in real life. Found in the deserts of the United States and Mexico, they hunt small snakes, lizards, and scorpions. They use rapid strikes and repeated blows against rocks to subdue prey.Story continues below this ad Laughing falcon (Photo: Wikipedia)Laughing Falcon Nicknamed the “snake hawk,” the laughing falcon is a specialised snake hunter found in Central and South America. It feeds heavily on venomous snakes, including coral snakes and pit vipers. Its strong hooked beak helps sever the snake’s spine before consumption. Great Horned Owl One of North America’s most powerful nocturnal predators, the great horned owl occasionally hunts snakes, including venomous rattlesnakes. Silent flight and powerful talons make it an effective ambush predator after dark. White-Bellied Sea Eagle This large raptor, commonly seen near coastlines and wetlands across Asia and Australia, feeds on fish, reptiles, and water snakes. It often snatches snakes directly from the water using its powerful claws.

AI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilots

Technology

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AI is being used to resurrect the voices of dead pilots

In Brief Posted: 4:03 PM PDT · May 22, 2026 Image Credits:Stephen Cohen / Getty Images In the latest sign of these AI-heavy times, the National Transportation Safety Board temporarily removed access to its docket system after discovering that voices of pilots who were killed in a UPS plane crash last year had been recreated using AI and were circulating on the internet. NTSB is prohibited by federal law from including cockpit audio recordings in its docket system, which otherwise contains troves of data on investigations and has historically been open to the public. But the accident docket for this flight included a spectrogram file of the voice recorder. A spectrogram uses a mathematical process to turn sound signals, including low and high frequencies, into an image. Scott Manley, a popular YouTuber whose channel combines physics, astronomy, and video games, noted on X that it could be possible to reconstruct audio from the megabytes of data encoded in that image. And that’s what happened. People took the spectrogram, along with the publicly available transcript, to create approximations of the cockpit voice recorder audio from UPS flight 2976 in Louisville, Kentucky, according to the NTSB. They used AI tools like Codex, according to posts on social media. The agency restored public access to the docket system on Friday, but kept 42 investigations closed pending review — including the one related to Flight 2976. Topics Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Latest in Transportation

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